Siti Norlila (left front row) with the athletes at Sukan Limbang Sports Complex.
LIMBANG: Seven trainees from PDK Limbang will be participating in the Malaysia Deaf Persons Sports (Sopma) and pre-Sukma championship in Perak next month.
Chaperon and supervisor of PDK Limbang, Dayang Siti Norlila Mahmud, said Mohamad Rafie, 19, would compete in the shot-putt event at the pre-Sukma meet from Oct 21-28 while six others would be competing at Sopma on Oct 15-20.
The Sopma athletes are Nopi Heriadi Taher, 25,(100m sprint ); Felix Ryan Jenadi ,23, (shot-putt); Rody Hilmi Rasit, 37; Nur Syamira Azaman, 14, (100m, 200m, 400m, 4×100); Nur Mashura Sufian, 18; and Nur Aruni Awang ,30, (shot putt, discuss, javelin).
“We do not have a proper coach, but intensive training is being carried out at Limbang Sports Complex,“ said Siti Norlila.
Mohamad Rafie won two gold medals at the last Sukan Sarawak (SukSar).
Siti Norlila hoped that their athletes would be able to perform at their highest level and bring back medals as they had trained hard for the meets.
Sarawak Sports Council (MSN) has assisted the team by providing training equipments and the sports field in front of civic centre here starting next Monday.
Siti Norlila hoped that more people would step forward with sponsorship for these athletes to help them achieve their goals and dreams.
Meanwhile, Dayang Maimunah Awang Mohd Daud, Perkim Limbang branch chairperson and wife of Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, turned up at the centre (PDK) yesterday to lend her support to the athletes in their preparation for the competitions.
She said PDK Limbang needed the contribution of a coach to help the deaf athletes to guide them in achieving their goals.